


Skin

by Layora88



Series: Drabbles [3]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Feelings, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-War, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Stucky - Freeform, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26843161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layora88/pseuds/Layora88
Summary: Pre War Stucky. Bucky lets himself look at Steve...he finds himself particularly enamoured by his slender wrists.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Drabbles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1717000
Comments: 9
Kudos: 54





	Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little blurb. This has been in my head for a while. Sorry for the quick work, hopefully it's alright. Definitely not edited. xP <3 Enjoy.
> 
> Written as a thank you for almost 200k hits and almost 150 user subscriptions. xo

Bucky’s staring. He _knows_ he’s staring. He just can’t quite bring himself to do anything about it, however and it’s not the first time, either. It’s happened a lot over the years if he lets himself think about it. He doesn’t let himself think about it.

But, he’s thinking about it now. Right this second. Because Steve’s drawing by the dim light of their one stupid bulb in their run down flat, half curled up on their ratty sofa at half past nine on a Tuesday in June.

It’s hot outside, hotter than either of them’ed like. Bucky’s not complaining though, even if Steve has been for the better part of the day. At least the sun’s gone down.

“At least the sun’s gone down,” Steve sighed, startling Bucky momentarily from his thoughts.

“Mhm,” He agreed, trying to appear as if his attention were elsewhere.

Not that he needed to. Steve was too busy scribbling away in his sketchbook to notice what Bucky was up to. He _should_ have his nose in the book in his hands, instead…he’s watching the way the tendons in Steve’s bony wrist keep flexing as he draws.

He exhales slowly so as not to draw attention to himself and lets his gaze flicker over Steve’s slight frame. He’s got himself in a bit of a curl, definitely not good for his back but if Bucky were to say anything, it’d probably start a fight. So instead he just lets himself look at Steve, discernibly _not_ thinking about it.

It’s just…Steve was so… _small._

He bit down on his lower lip and let his gaze flit up the length of Steve’s arm to his shoulder, his shoulder to his collarbone and up the length of his throat. He had to look away when he realized Steve was worrying at his lower lip as he concentrated on his drawing.

His eyes instantly fell back to Steve’s bony wrist and he let himself think about the last time he recalled slipping his fingers around it.

It’d been a bout of pneumonia last winter, he recalled at length. He’d been monitoring Steve’s pulse, couldn’t bare to let go of his wrist for the rest of the night. His pulse had been so _weak_. It’d scared him something fierce.

He breathed out slowly, reminding himself that Steve was here, Steve was okay, still entirely oblivious to Bucky’s intent gaze.

Or so Bucky had thought.

.

Steve was tired of sketching, but he couldn’t exactly bring himself to _stop_ sketching right then. Because Bucky was _watching him._ Had _been_ watching him for the last half hour. Probably thought he was being super sneaky about it too, judging by the way he kept _doing it._

Steve had realized pretty quickly what Bucky was looking at too. But he didn’t exactly think they were worth looking at. He took a moment to stretched to test his theory and when he stretched his arms up over his head, lacing his fingers together before pressing his palms towards the ceiling.

He knew it would put his wrists, his forearms in sharp relief and he almost shuddered with the way Bucky’s gaze snapped up to the movement. He hid the little hitch in his breath with a deep sigh, letting his eyes close fully when Bucky started to trail his gaze down over his body.

He didn’t want to get caught, not yet.

It wasn’t the first time Steve had noticed him looking, either.

But was he going to do anything about the looking? Bucky probably wasn’t going to. Which would mean it was up to him.

He wanted to huff at that, because in literally everything else, Bucky was the strong one. But when it came to Steve? Bucky was as weak as a kitten.

“Hey, Buck?” Steve murmured, shifting in his spot.

“Yeah?” Bucky answered and almost rolled his eyes at how eager he was to respond.

“Can you get me a glass of water?”

Bucky quirked a brow. Steve so rarely asked for things so easily. He was about to ask if he was alright when the blond huffed, “Just don’t want to get up, I need to focus on this last bit but I’m _really_ thirsty.”

Bucky blinked and then nodded slowly. “Yeah, sure. I’m pretty thirsty myself.”

Steve hummed and listened as Bucky stood and went to their kitchen, purposely _not_ looking at him as he crossed their small living room. He had to play this carefully, lest he spook the man.

He listened as Bucky poured a glass and then drank it and then poured another and then drank that too. The third time, he headed back to the living room.

“Here ya’ go, Stevie,” He murmured, holding the glass out for his friend to take.

Steve hummed, letting him hold it for just a moment longer as he dragged his gaze up from his sketchbook to look at Bucky through lowered lashes.

Bucky just… _froze._

There was no other word for it. The way Steve was looking at him was not like anything he’d ever seen before. It was with a look of tentative shyness, of insecurity reflected in his baby blues but there was something-

“Thank you,” He murmured, setting down his sketchbook and pencil, gaze never leaving Bucky’s.

Bucky didn’t say anything to him, too caught up in Steve’s stare and then there were careful fingers wrapping around his wrist, another hand gently curling around the glass to take it from him.

Bucky let him, because what else was he going to do? He was helpless then to watch as Steve took a sip from the glass, never breaking eye contact as he then set it down on the table beside them. Bucky couldn’t help but notice that Steve hadn’t let go of his wrist just yet.

“Y-you’re welcome,” Bucky managed eventually and watched as Steve swallowed thickly.

He was going to withdraw his hand, he _was_ , but then Steve exhaled shakily and turned Bucky’s wrist, making him turn his palm up. He stilled, curious and terrified as Steve then placed his own hand, palm up in his…exposing his wrist to Bucky’s gaze.

“Do you like them because they look dainty? Like a dames?” He murmured and Bucky’s gaze snapped back up to focus on his face, not even realizing he’d dropped his gaze to his friend’s wrist in the first place.

“What?”

Steve tilted his head slightly, still watching Bucky but with a shyness that was so uncharacteristically unlike him, it had Bucky’s insides twisting nervously.

“Do you like to look at my wrists because you think they’re… _small_ , like a dame’s? It’s why you like to look at my waist when I stretch, when my shirt rides a bit high…”

“It’s-“

Bucky swallowed thickly, caught out and unable to form words right then.

“It’s okay, Bucky,” Steve said tentatively. “I’m n-not mad or anything, not disgusted or w-whatever else you might be thinking.”

“I-“ He glanced down at Steve’s pale wrist, just… _exposed_ , offered up to his hungry eyes. “I’m not thinking a-anything about-about that-“ He whispered and couldn’t help shifting his hand slightly to swipe his thumb against the inside of Steve’s wrist.

He did not anticipate Steve gasping at the contact.

“I’m s-sorry,” He stuttered and Steve made a curious sound.

“D-don’t be, just…i-it tickles, is all.”

“ _Oh-_ “ Was all Bucky could manage and then, “I don’t like to look at them because I think they’re like a dame’s.”

Steve swallowed hard, unable to tear his gaze away from Bucky’s eyes that were focused intently on his wrist. “You don’t?” Steve asked nervously.

Bucky shook his head and raised his gaze once again to meet Steve’s. Steve was entirely unprepared for the _heat_ behind it, however.

“I look at _you_ because it’s you, Stevie,” He confessed.

Steve’s look of wide-eyed wonder was not lost on Bucky. “Don’t you know you’re something worth looking at?” He murmured and _Christ_ , but Bucky _hoped to God_ he wasn’t about to get a punch to the jaw.

He bent low then, his hand slipping to grasp Steve’s wrist with careful fingers as he raised his bared wrist to his lips. He made no move to press lips to the flushed skin just yet, instead simply letting his mouth hover, breathing warmth across his skin and making little goosebumps spread there, despite the heat of the apartment.

Steve gasped softly at the shiver it prompted and Bucky’s gaze darkened further at the sight of this gorgeous man. He was tired of hiding.

Steve all but melted into soft press of lips against his wrist and when Bucky exhaled shakily as Steve stifled a whimper at the light contact. But of course it was Bucky’s turn to gasp and then melt when Steve reached out lightning quick and grabbed the back of his neck, hauling him down for a fierce kiss.

Steve was the one who whimpered first, however, when Bucky decided he was going to make sure his intentions were clear by laying claim to his mouth, licking into it with all the desperate want he’d kept bottled up for _years_.

“ _Bucky-_ “ Steve whimpered against his lips, practically panting by the time Bucky finally gave him room to breathe.

“ _God, Stevie_ , I-“ He choked back a distressed noise and Steve’s hand clenched at the back of his neck. “I’ve wanted to do that for entirely too long.”

Steve blinked dazedly up at Bucky and let out a softly embarrassed sound. “M-me too,” He confessed in a breathy whisper.

They stared at each other for entirely too long then, Bucky bent awkwardly and Steve twisted uncomfortably to meet him.

“We’re idiots,” Bucky finally breathed and Steve’s laugh, although watery, was still a laugh, so…

“Y-yeah,” He agreed quietly, blue eyes bright in the dimmed light of the room, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “We really are.”

Bucky didn’t think he’d ever been happier. Steve maybe felt the same.


End file.
